Father GOD, I thank you for who you are! You ALONE are HOLY! Worthy to be praised! Thank you FATHER for your mercies upon us. Thank you for the person of the HOLY SPIRIT that you sent to us, to guide, lead and comfort us especially in these times! HE enlightens and guides us through Your Word and brings comfort to our souls, especially in times like this. LORD it is left up to us to apply the Word daily to our lives, when your spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding comes upon us. Thank you FATHER GOD! Awesome, Holy, Perfect, Beautiful Being you are! Hallelujah!

Blessings to you all in the precious name of JESUS CHRIST! The KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS! Today I continue with Part 2 of “Things that hinder our Prayer” taken from the book, “The Way of Life – Volume 1 by Prophet Laymouth Sandy.” Be Blessed! Encouraged! And Edified as we understand why we have been praying and there seems to be no answers to our prayers or think that GOD forgot us. Let us learn the reason why. Hallelujah!

“THINGS THAT HINDER OUR PRAYER – PART 2”

The children had no contact with GOD because they came before GOD without repenting of their sins and expected GOD to move on their behalf. They were frustrated, “Why is GOD not answering us? Why is GOD not responding? We sought HIS face but GOD is not listening.” GOD brought an understanding to them as to why this was happening because they did not know. GOD spoke to the prophet Isaiah to declare to them why HE did not respond to their supplications. They stood before GOD with their un-repented sins and they were seeking the favour of GOD. But GOD said through the prophet, “It is your sins that have separated Me from you. It is your sins that hid My face from you. Not because of anything else – It is your sins!” We also see a similar thing occur in (Lamentations 3:44). We need to understand, If there is no repentance GOD will not hear. If there is no repentance GOD will not respond. GOD is teaching us these things to happen to us. Their prayers were hindered because they did not repent of their iniquities and they came before GOD seeking HIS favour.

There is a very powerful passage in (Isaiah 1:15),

“When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.”

“When you spread out your hands…” This is an expression denoting the act of supplication. The expression, therefore, is equivalent to when you pray or ask for mercy. When you spread out your hands, What did GOD say? I will hide My eyes. That is, I will not attend to or regard your supplication. He said, “Your hands are covered with blood.” This is given as the reason why He did not respond. The expression ‘full of blood’ denotes crime and guilt as in murdering. It is like a murderer. It is probably a figurative expression; not that they were literally murders, but that they were given to injustice, to the oppression of the poor and the widowed. They indulged in rebellion, disobedience and in their prayers asked for HIS favour.

They were in rebellion. They did not ask GOD to forgive them, but came in their sins calling upon GOD expecting HIM to respond to them, GOD said, “No, I am not going to respond to you. Your hands are covered with blood; death is on your hands, injustice and abuse of humanity, which violates My principles; that is the work of your hands. Until that is removed I am not going to respond to you.”

What GOD is saying in essence is, if we cherish iniquity and refuse to ask HIS forgiveness and come before HIM beseeching HIM for HIS favour and we have not asked HIM for forgiveness, the Word of GOD declares that HE will not hear. HE will not respond to our request. In (Proverbs 1:27-28) says,

“When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will

call on Me, but I will not answer: they will seek Me diligently, but they will not find Me.”

What a position to be in. In verse 33, this is what GOD says, “But whoever listens to ME will dwell safely…” Also in (Proverbs 28:9),

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law…”

The law here means the Word of GOD, the principles of GOD. “One who turns away…” means he refuses to respond. HE refuses to obey after GOD has spoken. One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, from hearing the instructions, from hearing My desires, from hearing the things, I am commanding him or her to do; that person or people who turn their ears from hearing My instructions, the LORD declares, “Even his or her prayer is an abomination.”

The Word ‘abomination’ can be defined as things or practices which cause extreme disgust, or is detestable in the sight of GOD. What He said is, because you have turned away from hearing my instructions, your prayer causes extreme disgust; it is detestable in My sight. (Deuteronomy 17:1).

It is important for us to know what the LORD said. In (Proverbs 15:8) He said, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord….,” Even their sacrifice is disgusting. It is detestable.

He went on to say, “But the prayer of the upright is His delight.” And in verse 29 of the same chapter it says, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but HE hears the prayer of the righteous.” My friend, it is important for us to know that the hindrance to our prayer is rebellion against GOD, The LORD spoke to the people through the prophet Isaiah giving details of the sins of the people (Isaiah 59:3) :-

He gave the reason why HE did not respond and save as in former times. It was because they cherished iniquity in their hearts and violated divine codes.

FATHER GOD! I thank you for your Word! Your Truth! For you know ALL things, you know where we are, where we sit. Thank you FATHER, that you highlight and correct what is in our hearts so that we may understand your Word, your will and purpose for our lives as you have commanded. Hallelujah!